His father looked proud.
Not the loud kind.
Marcus did not do loud pride.
He simply sat straighter.
Afterward, while they walked toward the truck, Marcus said, “You did good.”
“I talked for eight minutes.”
“You kept it under ten. That’s excellent.”
Eli rolled his eyes.
Marcus opened the driver’s door.
Then stopped.
“You know what I remembered while you were talking?”
“What?”
“When you first told me.”
“The dinner?”
“Yeah.”
“You told me I was wrong.”
“I told you it was rain.”
“You said the conversation was over.”
Marcus nodded.
“I did.”
Eli waited.
Marcus looked toward him across the truck roof.
“Don’t let people ending a conversation make you think the question has been answered.”
Eli did not respond immediately.
Then he smiled.
“That sounds like something Grandpa would say.”